United 1 Southampton 2 - report/ratings

[Bergen Blade]

But we did score a perfectly good goal, which should never have been ruled out!

 

[Wards]

Felt the ref was overly fussy and got a lot wrong but I've few complaints with the disallowed goal

 

[Rodley]

View attachment 222963

I think that was a better decision than the Ogbene shove, which could have been a red card. Still don’t agree with the disallowed goal though.

What’s your overall view on the performance Bergen?

 

[blades_95]

Think it’s a fair summary of events. We only looked better because they stood off us after they scored the second knowing that we could still be playing now and not found a way to score.

Way off it physically, technically and mentally. Three games in and Wilder is already starting to show signs of cracking.

Long season ahead, talk of any sort of mid table push is laughable.

Agree with the point about teams standing off us knowing we can’t score against a packed defence. Millwall did it earlier in the season & we had a late ‘flurry’ but only because they allowed it.

Shades of the most recent Prem relegation season at the moment. We only play well in patches, can’t hold on to possession or play through teams, and by 60 minutes we’re knackered.

Teams are finding it far too easy to score against us & then know they can sit in & the chances of us scoring are very slim. We don’t even get the ball in the box or have shots in anger!

 

[Sheffsteel]

Agree with the point about teams standing off us knowing we can’t score against a packed defence. Millwall did it earlier in the season & we had a late ‘flurry’ but only because they allowed it.

Shades of the most recent Prem relegation season at the moment. We only play well in patches, can’t hold on to possession or play through teams, and by 60 minutes we’re knackered.

Teams are finding it far too easy to score against us & then know they can sit in & the chances of us scoring are very slim. We don’t even get the ball in the box or have shots in anger!

Agree…..there is currently some improvements since Wilder returned….so there are reasons to feel more positive. In spells we looks a good team last night.
However there are still concerns…..which cause feelings of negativity.

Overall think we’re heading in the right direction….last night was probably our best performance of the season.
Logic suggests Wilder and Knilly will be studying the videos and gradually fixing our issues.

 

[Blade59]

Thought the score was about right overall as the stats back up. We were better than previous home performances but that was beating a very low bar. Both sides looked low on confidence but they were a bit more controlled and fluid when in possession. Against a side with less quality we probably would have got something. Overall feeling was one of frustration as in the key moments we continue to lack composure and make poor decisions. There were some positives but it is going to take some time turn this around. We are in a relegation battle and unfortunately need to set expectations accordingly. Getting to mid table would be a major achievement at the moment.

The referee was absolutely dire. For the disallowed goal he had already made up his mind he was going to blow before the corner was taken. The 8 yard wall at the free kick was just laughable. He bottled the foul on Ogbene Hopefully we don't see him again any time soon.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I think that was a better decision than the Ogbene shove, which could have been a red card. Still don’t agree with the disallowed goal though.

What’s your overall view on the performance Bergen?

I think we are working hard to fix our issues defensively, while also finding ways to create. A new formation yesterday, a 5-2-3. The three centre backs have given us more solidity when balls come into our box. Wilder obviously wants to include Hamer and O'Hare and it can leave a very open midfield and a lot of space to cover for Peck and Davies.

To help deal with that Hamer and O'Hare occasionally drop back to help out, but then we become back heavy. Their winner came after Tanganga won the ball deep down our right, hit it forward, but it came back immediately and then they found some space to play in.

When we attack we struggle to get enough people in the box, as posted elsewhere. Our wing backs are not in great form. Ogbene is an athlete, but not amazing in terms of skill and he is new to the team, not always sure how to combine with others. Burrows is composed on the ball, but doesn't give us pace/dribbling/running down that flank. The three centre halves offer little going forward and in sum it will be difficult to create enough if we have too many players not making real offensive contributions.

I think Davies will improve us if he stays fit. I thought O'Hare has done better the last couple of games. We try to look at ways of letting Hamer spend more of his energy in attack, but there are compromises and we're not there yet.

It all may have been very different if O'Hare had scored that chance from Hamer's clever free kick.

 

[metalblade]

Good report Deadbat slight signs of improvement but a lot more work needed but the players who were here last season are largely under performing, Cooper, Burrows, Peck, O'hare, Hamer, Campbell and last but not least Cannon. What a waste of a shirt he is if I were Oné I'd be banging on Wilders door demanding to know why he doesn't get game time but Cannon does.
Sadly last night showed why I didn't want Wilder back, a stupid show of petulance to boot a ball into the crowd this is the kind of indiscipline that helped rack up half a million quid in fines last season. Also the stubborness of always bringing on the useless Cannon in the hope he will one day justify the big transfer fee. We all know it is not going to happen but Wilder persists game after game.
Quite obvious the ref lost it in the last quarter of the game he was never going to let us get back to salvage a point, the keeper and Cannon seemed 50/50 but he completely missed two Southampton defenders holding McGuinness down by the arms as Peck scored. Bad enough but the worse one was the shove in Ogbene's back which was blatent and possibly a red card.

 

[Addison]

Agree with your report and scoring DB. We did look better for the first 30 minutes but thats sugar coating it. The same failings surfaced after Southampton stepped it up in midfield and towards half time we were hanging on. The game is 90 minutes long and being in it for only a third of the total illustrates where the problems lie. Thats down to fitness and conditioning which the manager made reference to pre match. Davies provided some continuity in the middle but was always going to run out of steam. Relying on a player that will probably break down again will not get us put of this mess. Peck continues to frustrate and Southampton just played around him as we lacked a physical presence in the middle again. He seems undroppable at the moment in a position where we are sadly lacking. If Soumare isn't going to be picked we may as well send him back.

There is no balance to the middle without a left footer in there and Hamer just floats around out of position giving little protection to Burrows. Campbell was the plus in that he scored a good goal and did make some positive runs for COH to play him in.

Stewart caused problems all night and we never got hold of him. Mcguinness is inconsistent and having to rely on a 36 year old in Mee to provide the defensive cover week in week over the course of the season is going to catch up with us. We just can't stop leaking goals. The positives in our approach play are lost when you continually fail to do the basics of defending. Conceding 2 goals in 7 minutes from the same player just after half time after leading 1-0 illustrates how fragile we are. Add in a goalkeeper devoid of any confidence at the moment and we have significant problems.

Yes the ref was crap but we can't hide behind that and clutching at straws performance wise is not going to paper over the cracks. We needed a manager on the sidelines second half to get us over the line. Unfortunately his unprofessional act prevented that and cost us at least a point imo, All the good work of Oxford has been undone and the stats speak for themselves. Out worked again and back to the drawing board in terms of building up confidence.

 

[Tickhill Blade]

On the first goal, McGuinness is not marking Stewart. We use a mix of man marking and zonal marking.


Our three centre halves zonal mark between the posts. O'Hare's zone is in front of the first post, to clear low balls in. Then we have Peck to challenge anyone coming into the zone at the first post.

Our man marking players are Ogbene, Campbell, Burrows and Davies (red text below). All these are marking men taller than themselves. Their job is to prevent a real leap for the ball.

Hamer is zonal marking around the penalty mark, probably assigned to close down opponents just outside the box.

View attachment 222962

Not sure if it's 100% deliberate, but Southampton manage to find a flaw in our setup. The outswinging corner lands outside the 6 yard box, over O'Hare, but also slightly away from Peck's main zone. Armstrong is one of the smallest players on the pitch, but manages to nod it goalwards. Stewart reads this, Davies doesn't, and their main goalscorer can prepare, shape up and shoot unchallenged at the back post.

McGuinness is taken out by the wrestling Charles and shouldn't be blamed for this goal.

Bergen Blade for set piece coach!

 

[beasty]

Thanks for the report Deadbat.

Taken in isolation we possibly could be a bit happier with the performance against one of the (supposedly) better teams, in the context of the previous games though it was another disappointing defeat.

Can't believe we turned down PNE taking Cannon on loan.

 

[Bellypork]

Thanks for the report Deadbat.

Taken in isolation we possibly could be a bit happier with the performance against one of the (supposedly) better teams, in the context of the previous games though it was another disappointing defeat.

Can't believe we turned down PNE taking Cannon on loan.

Yes, it's turning into a Rhodes scenario, I'm afraid.

And I'm one of those who's kept saying that there's a player in there.

Brought into the club for a large fee, on a long contract, to help get the club over the line.

Due to injury, loss of confidence, looks a shadow of what he was or is capable of, and lacking the aggression/grit to snap out of it.

If Preston come back, snatch their hands off.

 

[N20 Blade]

Sorry Deadbat I don’t agree, I thought we played well tonight & you do seem seem to be so negative….

Amazing how opinions can vary so markedly, but that's the game. Unfortunately, I'm with Deadbat on this, 2-1 was kind on us.

 

[PokerBlade]

I really felt for them yesterday. First time we've looked like a team again, first time we've shown signs of last season. Thought we won at Oxford in spite of a poor performance not because we were particularly good.

There's problems in this side. One of them being that outside of Mee, Tanganga, McGuinness, we have no real physical presence. We're wasting Tanganga a bit because we have no proper right-back.

But whatever problems Selles has left behind, that was just all round better against very solid opposition and it didn't deserve to lose.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I think that was a better decision than the Ogbene shove, which could have been a red card. Still don’t agree with the disallowed goal though.

The Ogbene one was a foul and a yellow, not sure where the claim for a red card comes from? He wasn’t the last man and Ogbene was wide and to the right of the goal.

Really harsh on Davies & Peck IMO. Davies was our best player last night by a country mile and Peck was tidy (better than a 4 anyway).

Burrows and Hamer were the worst players on the pitch. Absolutely shocking from both - couldn’t find a red & white shirt with a pass, couldn’t run with the ball, attacks broke down every time either got the ball. 2’s for both.

Davies who didn’t follow Stewart for the first goal and who let Stewart ghost past him for the second goal?

Hamer who played the ball to Campbell for our goal and then put a chance on a plate for O’Hare?